I was ,like so many others, shocked and saddened by the passing of Alain Froment. I was unaware how serious his health problems were and seeing he was still only in his early sixties ,his death was way before time. I would have liked to go to his funeral to pay my respects and maybe have talked with others who knew him well, but that was not possible.
But I consider myself fortunate as I did get to meet him once when I accompanied Pat Lavery to Kenmare to have his chanter reeded
.Here’s how I remember the visit. If you’d never been to Alain’s house before it was a difficult place to find. Situated in a small wooded area half way up a hill,we had to ask a few locals for directions before we found it .
As we arrived at the pre-arranged time, Alain had a reed ready for the chanter.He took us into a small room attached to the house where I think he done his reedmaking. It was the quickest fitting ever,he stuck a reed he had on the table into the chanter, had a few blows on it,said it was good and that was it .We didn’t question him and he never offered Pat to have a go of the chanter,but we accepted it without question.That reed was later extensively tested by Pat and proved to be perfect in tune and playablity and is still being played now. Ordinarily we would have just paid him and left but he was very friendly and seemed to enjoy having visitors, I think we were lucky on the day as we were told by others that he can sometimes be abit abrupt and sort of nudge you out the door. In his reedmaking room he also had on the table his own five regulator set of pipes and he put them on to let us hear them,they certainly were a hive of honeyed sound .
We were then treated to a look into his workshop which was surprising small .The only machines I can remember seeing was two myford lathes and a large milling machine.In the corner there was what looked like a forging area, we asked is this were he made his keys but he said he no longer forged them but used the milling machine to make the keys.It was amazing to think of all the excellent pipes that were made in that modest workshop.After about fifteen minutes in the workshop we left and I suppose he got back to work. It was a privilege to meet him .
I would really like to hear from others who have had any dealings with Alain.Did you ever meet him ,did you have pipes on order from him or do you own pipes made by him,or did you just admire his work.
RORY
I met Alain 7 years ago, i heard so much about him from a very good friend of mine, piper and now pipemaker, that i thought Alain was one of those incredibly talented people that you can spot from miles away for having such a huge charisma.
And so it was, my first meeting with him, he fortunately came down to Brittany to meet “half way”, (at the time i was living with my family in Turin, Italy) and deliver his new creation to me: a brand new D chanter.
He made it in one year, and i was incredibly happy about it, and when i met him, at Patrick Molard’s house in Brittany, he looked at me, handed me the chanter and said: “il faut que tu trouve la geographine du chanter” meaning i wasn’t really used to such a nice instrument…
We kept in contact and became very good friends, he always had a few minutes to spend listening to all those problems that i was encountering on my learning journey.
About 9 months ago, i went to his workshop in Tregornán to collect the new set, a brand new D set with custom made keys; he was incredibly pleased with the result and as soon as i put my hands on them they instantly felt confortable and the new reeds were just singing.
I left my chanter in his workshop and came back in the evening, in 5 hours i had put 3 keys on my chanter, we stayed for dinner and had a long chat about pipes and piping…he was a grandad for me and i’ll always remember him for all those times that we spoke and met.
I first met Alain about 6 years ago. As I had one of his concert pitch chanters, I called to him in Kenmare many times.
( for a new reed, advise, etc. )
On one such occasion, after being in his workshop where he gave me some tips and advise on making reeds, he invited my wife & I into his home. He played his own set for us and made us very welcome.
When he moved to Brittany, we still kept in touch and was very shocked and saddened to hear of his death. He will always be remembered through the wonderful instruments he created.
( And yes Rory I, like many others I’m sure, did have a set on order from him. It was for a C set which was due for completion in 5 years time. )
I thank God for having known this great man.
May He hold him in the palm of His hand.
My experience with Alain included meeting him in 1995 in his wonderful mountain retreat, ordering a flat set which I (tragically) switched to my D set, which arrived as promised Nov. 1999; a return for a few days in 2005, and several hours of video of him reeding and tuning. He was a master and a perfectionist. I too had a flat set on order…
I just returned from Ireland, where in Waterford, David Power, his very close friend to the end, is reeding my chanter; I had the joy of meeting and listening to Jimmy Morrison in Fermoy, who has a Froment C, who first told me about the “one of the best makers in the world…”
Condolences to his lovely wife and partner, Danielle…
Bon Voyage Alain, et je suis privelege a faire votre connaissance…
